Ok so I was driving and out of nowhere my engine light comes on and when I would complete a stop on a light my car would shake. It also kinda wanted to turn off on me but it didn‘t. And when I was in a stop and then accelerated my car would take out white smoke out of the exhaust. Also when I would try to accelerate it would have trouble accelerating it didn‘t want to go. And it kinda smell like gas also.I have a chevy cavalier 1999Please answer thank you
First best answer to StPaulGuy. Guessing will not get you any closer to fixing the problem, getting the codes read will. A mechanic should do it and he should be the one to fix it. Parts stores can cost you a lot with missing the mark on diagnosing based on the codes. I disagree about the head gasket - I have never heard of a head gasket failing out of nowhere (as you described it) and the symptoms are not a good match. For a sanity check, check the coolant level. If it is way, way down it could indeed be a major problem with the engine rather than the controls. If it is not missing a lot of coolant it is not a bad head gasket causing the problems, I guarantee.
The first thing you'll to do is have the check engine light decode (Read), most auto part stores do it for free, including Aamco stores and go from there. White smoke? If it just vapor, steamy white smoke when the engine is cold then it should be consider normal. But if keep on smoking and the vehicle is loosing coolant: Remove all spark plugs then do a cooling system pressure test and if you use a small flash light or better use a borescope and look through the spark plug holes and you'll see if the coolant get into the cylinder combustion chambers, this is the reason causing the white smoke. The cause is a cracked cylinder head or a blown head gasket. Take care and check into the matter right now before the coolant fill up the cylinders overnight and when you start it up the next time. It'll go to a Hydro- lock and engine damage will occur. HTH
sounds like blown head gasket. white smoke good indication. the engine probably fuel injected? so engine trying compensate gas to the mix. the computer tries adjust the fuel mix in the engine apparently can't do it. so be my best guess. though could be other things too. if not head gasket maybe get compression test done but sounds engine internal.
